Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

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MND ELABORATES ON BUDGET ALLOCATIONS FOR MAJOR MILITARY PROCUREMENT

2004-06-04 22:39:50

Taipei, June 4 (CNA) The Ministry of National Defense (MND)
called a news conference Friday to elaborate on its budget
allocations worth NT$610.8 billion (US$18.2 billion) for major
military procurement programs amid grave public concern over the
issue.

Vice Minister Hu Chen-pu chaired the news conference, with
ranking representatives from the army and navy explaining and
detailing the contents, timetables and purposes of their military
build-up programs for the years to come in conjunction with the
United States.

Yang Tien-shiao, a lieutenant-general and chief of the general
staff of the Army General Headquarters, said the army plans to
purchase six batteries of Patriot PAC-3 missiles for an eight-year
period from 2005 to 2012, with a price tag of NT$144.92 billion.

According to Yang, the installation of the advanced missiles in
northern, central and southern Taiwan will effectively help the
military protect at least 70 percent of the civilian population and
more than 60 percent of the country's industries, a noticeable
improvement from the current levels of 25 percent and 8 percent.

At present, the army only has three Patriot PAC-2 missile
batteries in northern Taiwan, making it unable to provide
comprehensive protection for the whole island by countering
multi-headed missiles or those carrying biochemical agents, he
explained.

Lee Tung-hai, chief of the general staff of the Navy General
Headquarters, said the navy aims to purchase submarines with
effective deterrent capabilities in an effort to strike a balance and
even achieve naval supremacy in the Taiwan Strait.

The navy is intent on buying eight diesel-fueled submarines, with
the delivery for the first unit slated for 2013 and for the last unit
in 2019, Lee said, adding that the total spending, including
ammunition and relevant facilities, is estimated at NT$412.1 billion.

Turning to the navy's need for 12 P-3C anti-submarine airplanes,
Lee said that NT$53.4 billion has been allocated for that
expenditure, he said.

While the establishment of the squadron will take seven years,
deliveries for the first seven units and the remaining five are
scheduled for 2009 and 2011, respectively, he said.

The navy's current squadron composed of 26 S-2T anti-submarine
airplanes has fallen short of its goal of serving as an adequately
combat force.

All the budget appropriations have been approved by the Executive
Yuan and are awaiting the final green light from the Legislative
Yuan.